Small and Small Diverse Business Owner Information L&I.doc

September 23, 2019

Dear Small Business Owner, The Department of General Services (DGS), Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion & Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) is contacting you with information on becoming self-certified as a Small Business (SB) and verified as a Small Diverse Business (SDB) so you can be considered for contract award opportunities with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that are specially tailored for SBs and SDBs.

These programs allow SBs and SDBs to participate as prime contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and professional service providers on Commonwealth contracts. Opportunities are available for Commonwealth contracts for goods, services, IT, and construction. In addition, eligible businesses may compete for contracts reserved specifically for small businesses under the Commonwealth’s Small Business Reserve program, a race and gender-neutral program open to all businesses that are SBs or SDBs.

In order to qualify as a Small Business (SB) – regardless of race or gender, a business must self-certify that they meet the following requirements:

· The business must be a for-profit, United States business.

· The business must be independently owned.

· The business may not be dominant in its field of operation.

· The business may not employ more than 100 full-time equivalent employees.

· The business may not exceed three-year average gross revenues of $38.5 Million, regardless of business type (effective 11/1/2018).

The Small Business self-certification process can be completed within 15 minutes. Businesses will be required to upload the first page of the company's three most recent federal tax returns which are required to verify annual gross revenues. You may redact your federal tax identification number, if desired. Acceptable file formats for tax upload include Portable Document Format (PDF) and Joint Photographic Group (JPG). If a business has not existed for three years, the average gross sales are computed for the period of the business’ existence. For newly formed businesses, the determination is based upon projected gross sales. For complete details on how to become a PA DGS self-certified Small Business visit the Small Business Contracting Program website.

In order to qualify as a Small DIVERSE Business (SDB) including Minority Business Enterprises, Women Business Enterprises, Veteran Business Enterprises, Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, Disability-Owned Business Enterprises, and LGBT Business Enterprises, a business must first self-certify as an SB. A business must then submit a current certification from one of the following approved third parties to BDISBO:

Unified Certification Program (UCP)

(Links PA’s UCP certification program.)

Disadvantaged business certifications acceptable for MBE/WBE verification with additional proof of race/ethnicity or gender.

U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program (SBA 8(a))

Small business self-certification, a two-year certification which requires biannual renewal, is a prerequisite for verification as a Small Diverse Business. Through the Verification Program, BDISBO reviews and verifies self-certified Small Businesses as Small Diverse Businesses (SDBs) when they hold certifications from approved third-party certifiers. For complete details on how to become a PA DGS verified Small Diverse Business , visit the Small Diverse Business Program website.

To access the small business application and begin the certification process: Go to the PA Supplier Portal and click Supplier Logon.

Click Bidder Tab > Enterprise Applications > Small & Small Diverse Business Program Application. TIP: View our application guide for basic troubleshooting for most common issues (e.g. the Enterprise Applications portal page appears blank), visit the PA Supplier Portal Support page, or contact the Supplier Service Center at RA-PSCSRMPORTAL@pa.gov or (877) 435-7363, option 1.

**Contact BDISBO to learn more and for help self-certifying as a Small Business and, if eligible, verifying as a Small Diverse Business. For complete details on how to become a Small or Small Diverse Business or to participate in the two programs, visit the Small Business Contracting Program and Small Diverse Business Program pages. You can reach us at 717-783-3119 or gs-bdisbo@pa.gov, or visit www.dgs.pa.gov.

Department of Labor & Industry 651 Boas Street | Harrisburg, PA 17121 | 717.783-0332 | F 717.783-6378| www.dli.pa.gov Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program